CLAYTON – A Johnston County woman recently lost $3,000 after visiting the wrong website. The 70 year-old victim said she wanted to call the company she had purchased antivirus software from in the past. She logged onto the internet and conducted a search for the company name.
Unfortunately, she clicked on a website that closely resembled the antivirus software company, but it wasn’t. She was directed to call a toll-free number. Through a series of phone calls, the victim was tricked into sending $3,000 in Walmart gift cards, thinking she was paying for the software. It was a scam.
The Better Business Bureau says scam websites often have similar URLs and look nearly the same as the real website. Look closely at the domain name to see if letters are swapped or the name is slightly misspelled. If you are not on the official site, close the tab. The BBB says their website has even been impostered.
Anyone who thinks a legitimate wants to be paid in Walmart gift cards gets what they deserve. Stories like this are posted daily here…. Do folks in JoCo not know any better?!?!?
It’s sad that this happens to the elderly, they’re just too trusting sometimes. That being said, yeah it should be pretty obvious that it’s a scam when they’re asking for Walmart gift cards as payment, and also the fact that this “antivirus software” cost more than the price of several brand new computers.